Chase Field’s Highly Anticipated Return to Playoffs: First Game Since 2017

PHOENIX — After concluding their regular-season games at Chase Field on Oct. 1, the D-backs embarked on their road trip with uncertainty about returning to their home crowd this year.

However, after triumphing in the National League Wild Card Series in Milwaukee and winning the first two games of the NL Division Series in Los Angeles, the D-backs anticipate a boisterous welcome back to Chase Field. They will attempt to secure victory over the Dodgers in front of a sold-out crowd in Game 3 on Wednesday night.

“I’m really excited for it,” expressed right fielder Corbin Carroll on Tuesday. “We had great crowds in L.A. and Milwaukee, but performing in front of our home fans is even better.”

“It’s incredible,” added Game 3 starter Brandon Pfaadt. “Whenever Chase Field sells out, it benefits everyone. It’s definitely something to look forward to, and I expect it to be an amazing experience.”

Chase Field hasn’t hosted postseason baseball since 2017 when the D-backs defeated the Rockies, 11-8, in a memorable NL Wild Card Game before being swept by the Dodgers in the NLDS. Now, with a commanding 2-0 advantage in this best-of-five series, the D-backs have the opportunity to return the favor and eliminate the 100-win Dodgers.

Teams with a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five series after winning the first two games on the road have a record of 29-3. Only the 2001 Yankees (against the A’s), the 2012 Giants (against the Reds), and the 2015 Blue Jays (against Texas) have come back from a 0-2 deficit after losing the first two games at home.

“We just faced a very hostile environment, with the crowd against us, but it will be different this time,” said D-backs manager Torey Lovullo. “This crowd will be behind us, and we want to excel in front of them. We want to impress them.”

Lovullo vividly recalls the deafening roar from the crowd during the last postseason run in 2017 when Paul Goldschmidt smashed a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning, giving Arizona an early lead in the Wild Card Game against Colorado.

“That eruption was one of the loudest I’ve experienced on the stadium floor,” Lovullo reminisced. “Hopefully, we can recreate that atmosphere a few more times tomorrow.”

Carroll has heard stories about the electric atmosphere at Chase Field that day and encountered a similar vibe when he attended a World Baseball Classic game here in March.

“Since I got drafted in ’19, I’ve heard multiple accounts of how loud and amazing Chase Field was,” Carroll shared. “Attending the World Baseball Classic this year, especially the USA-Mexico game I went to, our front-office staff members said it felt like 2017. It excites me to witness Arizona’s passion for baseball.”

The D-backs, who had a 43-38 home record during the regular season, ranked 20th in attendance in the Majors in 2023. However, the sellout for Wednesday’s game demonstrates the Phoenix community’s eagerness to support the club and their quest for their first NL Championship Series berth since 2007.

“Fans have not experienced a home postseason game since 2017,” said D-backs team president/CEO Derrick Hall. “There is considerable excitement throughout the state for this team, as evident by the quick sellout. I am grateful to the fans for their consistent support of this energetic group of players.”

The D-backs’ general manager Mike Hazen’s four sons, Charlie (17), John (16), Teddy (15), and Sam (13), will throw the ceremonial first pitches. This tribute honors their late mother, Nicole, who passed away from glioblastoma in August 2022.